Trowbridge gave Kirky & Ian Diamond the perfect leaving present by achieving an amazing comeback despite being down to 10 men. Cirencester were much the better side throughout the first half and took the lead after 16 minutes. Adam Nunn lost possession in midfield and a mistake by Adam Sheppard allowed Phil Hall to gain possession and score. The best chance of an equaliser in the first half came after 35 minutes. Chris Tricker beat a defender on the right wing and whipped in a good cross that was deflected wide of goal by Dan Kovacs for a goal kick. Cirencester attacked immediately from the restart and Hall nearly made it two with a shot wide of the left post.  Dean Barker shot over the bar just before half time and Cirencester maintained their deserved lead at the break.

The visitors should have claimed a second goal early in the second half but Ritchings placed his penalty wide of the target. Trowbridge were now down to 10 men with Matt Brown being dismissed for the foul that conceded the penalty. They didn’t have to wait too long though, to make it 2-0. Cirencester broke quickly following a Trowbridge corner and Phil Hall ran through from the half way line to strike a fine shot into the left corner giving Adam Sheppard no chance.  Trowbridge looked to be defeated but were given a lifeline when a referee’s assistant spotted a push in the penalty area and Adam Nunn tucked the penalty away nicely after 67 minutes to pull the score back to 2-1.  Dean Barker went close with a shot that went across the face of the goal shortly afterwards before Dan Barnes squared things at 2-2 with a header that just crept under the crossbar following a high cross by Adam Nunn. With 15 minutes remaining, the match was far from over and both sides went looking for a decider. Adam Sheppard did extremely well to keep a corner out from under his crossbar before Adam Nunn claimed the winner. Adam will be concentrating on his refereeing career next season but Town supporters won’t forget his final contribution. A screamer of a right foot shot and goal from 20 yards.

Dan Kovacs looks on as Adam Nunns' shot goes across goal having hit the post

Trowbridge travelled to Oxfordshire with a much changed line-up but fared well against an Old Woodstock side that have occupied a top six position all season. Trowbridge started well and appealed for an early penalty when Adam Nunn put a ball into the area that struck a hand. The referee probably correct in his judgement of ball to hand though. With 16 minutes gone Michael Barnes played a good through ball that Dan Kovacs ran onto but his shot was wild and high. Trowbridge continued to dominate and were awarded a free kick after 24 minutes which was played into the area.

 Woodstock looked good for their lead and continued to press with Trowbridge no longer playing the good passing game that they had produced in the first half. Towards the end however, they settled down and Dan Kovacs equalised with a turn and shot that went in off a post. The ball being played in from the left following a throw-in. Kovacs nearly claimed a second in similar style following a late corner by Chris Tricker but this time his effort was blocked by a defender and the points were shared. A draw was probably a fair result in what was the last game of the season for Old Woodstock.

Trowbridge came from behind to win a match that was ruined by the windy conditions. Both teams should take some credit for trying to play good football. Andy Bloodworth nearly gave a Trowbridge an early lead in the first minute with a good shot on the turn that was pushed for a corner by Dean Haines, the Purton ‘keeper. The first opportunity for Purton came after 13 minutes, Daniel Barnes heading off the line as the ball was headed towards goal. Dean Barker was on the end of a Luke Smith free kick after 35 minutes but his shot went over the bar. Purton claimed a first half lead after 42 minutes. A defensive error let in Tom Goodey doing well to lob the ball over an advancing Adam Sheppard.

This picture was take just before Dean Barker's free kick went in for the equaliser.

Haines denies Dan Barnes from a corner.

I made no notes for this match but it is easily described as a “game of two halves”.

Trowbridge failed to find any rhythm in the first half and Cirencester were by far the better side. They took an early lead though McSherry after just 4 minutes. He found space to be unmarked on the left of the area and finished nicely. Trowbridge had one clear chance in the first half, Dean Barker with a shot straight at the ‘keeper but no one could argue the Cirencester deserved their half-time lead.

The second half was completely different. Trowbridge looked like a different team and dominated from the start. Despite this, the home side claimed a second goal against the run of play with 50 minutes gone. A superb shot from Bailey looped over Adam Sheppard from all of 25 yards. Trowbridge showed the spirit that had been missing at the weekend and piled on the pressure. Dan Barnes bundled the ball over the line from close range following a corner after 75 minutes then substitute Dave Mitchell equalised with a header that when in off the post with seven minutes remaining. Overall, a draw was a fair result although Trowbridge still continued to attack in the final minutes.

Trowbridge dominated the first half of this match to such an extent that Adam Sheppard in the Trowbridge goal did not touch the ball within the first half hour. Chris Tricker & Dean Barker both had shots that went just wide within the first four minutes and Adam Nunn went even closer after nine minutes with a low drive that was pushed round a post by the goalkeeper. A minute later Barker missed a golden opportunity to score against his old club. A quick throw-in by Luke Smith on the right hand side was played forward by Andy Bloodworth and Barker hooked the ball over the ‘keeper only to see it go wide of the post. The final first half frustration for Trowbridge was in the 37th minute when Chris Tricker hit the crossbar direct from a corner.

The second half was similar although the frustration set in and there was less good football played and the more direct approach allowed the strong wind to play its part in spoiling the game. Barker hit a shot straight at the ‘keeper after 50 minutes and he also shot over the bar 5 minutes later. Shortly afterwards, a mistake from Adam Nunn very nearly gifted Hook Norton the lead. His pass back fell well short of Sheppard and Richard Northover nipped in ready to score. Nunn was saved from embarrassment by a nasty divot that took the ball away from the forward and Sheppard gathered gratefully. With five minutes remaining Trowbridge claimed the win they deserved. Michael Barnes ran on to a through ball and lobbed the ball over the advancing Hook Norton goalkeeper. It seemed to take an age to reach the goal but finally bounced in to make the final score 1-0.

Trowbridge made the long trip to Easington Sports in Banbury and returned with a comfortable three points despite a slow start. Neither side created much in the early stages until the 13th minute when an opportunity fell to Easingtons’ James Read but his shot was well saved by Lewis Porter. Trowbridge hit back almost immediately and struck a post from a corner and from then on began to take control. Chris Tricker had a shot on target that was headed away in the 22nd minute and Adrian Barnes scooped an effort over the bar with eight minutes on the first half remaining. The first goal should have come just five minutes into the second half. An excellent through ball from Dean Barker saw Dave Percival run through the middle but his shot found the ‘keepers body and went for a corner. Percival created the breakthrough though; his cross from the left on the hour was deflected past O’Connor, the Easington ‘keeper, by the head of an Easington defender to give Trowbridge the lead. Adam Daley had a very good chance to equalise just four minutes later but Porter came out to narrow the angle and saved above his head. Trowbridge always looked capable of adding to their score after that and Dean Barker made it 2-0 with a nice turn and shot from close range after 70 minutes. The luckless Easington defence then conceded a second own goal with 12 minutes remaining. The defender, in his attempt to steer the ball away from Barker, chested the ball past O’Connor to make it 3-0. Chris Tricker having shown his best form for some time was injured in an accidental clash with O’Connor and was replaced by Dan Crease. The final goal, in injury time, was created by Crease. O’Connor failed to deal with his lob and the ball looked as if it may have crossed the line. Just in case there was any doubt, Dean Barker made sure and claimed his second to make the final score 4-0.

Champions elect Winterbourne completed the league double over Trowbridge but unlike the match on Boxing Day at Winterbourne this was a close encounter that could have gone either way. Winterbourne almost took the lead in the first minute, Lewis Porter making an excellent save, diving to his left to concede a corner. Trowbridge started to settle and Dave Percival shot from a tight angle after 15 minutes but it was Tom Shepherd’s turn to make a good save, turning the ball round the post. Paul Thorpe headed over the bar from the resultant corner. Trowbridge defended well when required, Michael Barnes doing well twice in quick succession with vital tackles in the penalty area. With 29 minutes gone, Scott Cameron crossed the ball from the left wing and the unfortunate Adrian Barnes deflected the ball into his own net to give Winterbourne the lead. Trowbridge were level after 38 minutes. A good cross from the right was headed into his own net by Neil Ward. The goal only being given after consultation with the Assistant Referee who originally flagged a player offside but agreed that he had no bearing on the outcome of the ball entering the net. With everything the play for in the second half, both teams played good competitive football. Winterbourne had a player sent off but they continued to play with confidence and defended well as Trowbridge looked for a winner. On the hour, Dave Percival shot just wide and Winterbourne attacked from the goal kick. The ball was played forward towards the edge of the Trowbridge penalty area and Nick Waters ran past Michael Barnes to gain possession and take the ball on for a fine finish to win the match by the odd goal in three.

Trowbridge dominated possession from start to finish but could not break through the Sara's defence to claim the win that their play deserved. The first chance fell to Dean Barker after 20 mins but Betteridge saved comfortably. Other chances fell to Adam Nunn, Dave Percival and Adrian Barnes before half time as Trowbridge forced a number of corners. The second half produced a similar pattern, Chris Tricker header over after 5 minutes and Dave Percival hit a powerful shot straight at Betteridge on the hour. New signing, James Hamsher came on and looked impressive on the left wing which only added to the pressure put upon the Cheltenham defence but they deserve a lot of credit for keeping a clean sheet and almost stole the points with their only real chance which went wide with 78 minutes gone. A useful away point gained but with the amount of possession, the band of travelling fans that braved the freezing temperatures went home a little disappointed not to have taken all three.

A makeshift Trowbridge Town side were always second best against high flyers Headington. A number of changes saw Adam Nunn in defence, goalkeeper Adam Sheppard coming on as a substitute forward and manager Neil Kirkpatrick as a substitute in defence following an injury to Adam Glover. Porter made a fine save in the very first minute, diving to his right to concede a corner but he could do nothing to stop Ben Baldwin giving Headington the lead with a smart turn and finish after just seven minutes. Trowbridge had a good chance to equalise after 13 minutes, Dan Kovacs pulling a cross back across the edge of the area from the left wing but Chris Tricker seemed to step over the ball when a shot on target looked likely. An Adam Nunn free kick and a good run by Dave Percival were the only other first half opportunities for Trowbridge as Headington continued to look dangerous. The home side took control in the second half. Jamie Mundy driving the ball home from 20 yards to make it 2-0 with only 6 minutes of the second half gone. Two goals in quick succession completed the scoring. Mark Evans tucked a penalty away after 75 minutes and 2 minutes later Baldwin grabbed his second to make it 4-0.

Trowbridge survived some early pressure in a match between two teams that played good football on a sticky pitch, and then went on to win comfortably though to the next round of the supplementary cup. The home defence were under pressure for most of the first 20 minutes. Ryan Oldham aimed for the far post with a chip shot that went wide after seven minutes but despite the pressure there was not a shot on target until Andy Bloodworth cleared from a crowded area with 20 minutes gone. Trowbridge took the lead against the run of play, the partnership of Barker and Percival working again as the latter latched on to a through ball and beat a defender under pressure before scoring. Just before half time, Barker made it two with one touch control and a low shot from just outside the penalty area. The half time score flattered Trowbridge somewhat but no-one could deny the quality shown by the two forwards.

Despite languishing near the foot of the league table, Clanfield proved to be tough opposition. Trowbridge found themselves under pressure in the early stages and it was not too surprising when Clanfield took the lead after 18 minutes. A ball played through the centre was deflected into the path of James Montegue and he duly ran on and struck an unstoppable shot from 20 yards that beat Shepperd by his left hand post. Six minutes later the scores were level.

Trowbridge moved up to third with a good all round performance against a Malmesbury side that have been in good form of late. The home side put the pressure on in the early stages but a nicely headed through ball from Dean Barker was latched onto by Dave Percival and he ran on to slot the ball home and give Trowbridge the lead after 16 minutes. Barker might have made it two later in the half but headed wide when unmarked. Malmesbury drew level six minutes into the second half. A superb run by Anthony Packer and an even better strike from 20 yards beat Porter as he dived to his left. Both defences did well to maintain level scores as the game swung from end-to-end. Trowbridge were rewarded for their efforts when Percival was brought down in the area after 67 minutes. He confidently stepped to score from the spot and claim three hard earned points. In the tricky icy conditions, all players should be congratulated for their efforts in an entertaining match.

Trowbridge bounced back to demolish Cricklade in a blistering first half performance. Recent signing Dean Barker set up an early opportunity and Michael Barnes put Trowbridge up in the first minute from close range. Cricklade may have levelled the scores shortly afterwards but Porter dived to his right to make a fine save and concede a corner. Trowbridge then took control and made Cricklade look a poor side for the remainder of the first half. The second goal came in the 19^th minute. A good ball was played down the right wing by Chris Tricker and Barker was the provider again with a low cross into the box which Dave Percival tucked home with one touch. Four minutes later Chris Tricker did well to score the third, keeping the ball low enough as the ball rebounded to him just outside the penalty area.  Dave Percival added the fourth just before the break following further involvement by Barker. The young forward is becoming popular with the crowd already and he deserved a goal of his own but it was not to be as Cricklade contributed much more to the game in the second half. With the match effectively over at half time, Neil Kirkpatrick made a few changes and altered the formation. This allowed Cricklade to prove that they could be a lot better than their league position suggests but the Trowbridge defence were in no mood to make the same mistakes as they did against Winterbourne and kept a welcome clean sheet.

Winterbourne were always first to the ball and their direct style was proving to be more effective. The second goal came from Mark Nash with a header across goal at the back post from a cross that came in high from the left wing. Darren Andrews made it three on the stroke of half time with a shot from the edge of the area. Neil Kirkpatrick brought on Dan Barnes to add some strength to the Trowbridge defence as Trowbridge set out to try and repair the first half damage. Despite playing some nice football at times there was really only one team that looked like adding to the score and Andrews claimed his second to make it 4-0 after 56 minutes. The same player completed his hat-trick 20 minutes later for a resounding victory.

Paul Thorpe joins the attack for a second half corner.

Trowbridge were removed from the Wilts Senior Cup by Western Premier League side Calne despite taking an early lead. The early pressure came from Calne but Trowbridge were in front after 10 minutes. A free kick, taken by Adam Nunn, picked out Chris Tricker and his header was guided past Chris Astley, the Calne ‘keeper. Calne responded almost immediately and a good cross from the right just four minutes later was steered home by Glenn Armstrong, giving Lewis Porter no chance. Chris King gave Calne a 2-1 lead with 17 minutes gone this time the ball coming in from the left wing.  Trowbridge hung on to remain just one goal behind at the break but found themselves further behind in the 58th minute. Glenn Armstrong claiming his second with a good finish from just inside the penalty area. Trowbridge did their best to get back into the match. Dave Percival shot wide after 75 minutes and Astley made a good stop from Chris Tricker late on. This was a much better performance than the win at Purton last week but was not enough against a better all round side.

A comfortable if not convincing win produced a flattering score-line for Trowbridge. Purton almost took the lead in the first minute, debutant goalkeeper Lewis Porter diving to make a fine stop and concede a corner. Trowbridge started to gain the upper hand as the first progressed and a shot by Matt Penman was spilled by the Purton ‘keeper before being cleared. Adam Nunn went even closer in the 16th minute with a driving shot from 25 yards which hit a post. Matt Taylor also went closer before Dave Percival claimed the lead on 37 minutes. A well hit volley that went through the ‘keepers’ legs. Much of the action in the second half was pretty nondescript, there were chances for Purton but their shooting seemed way off target and Chris Tricker was guiltily of the same when he headed over the bar after 51 minutes. Tricker redeemed himself after 74 minutes with a low strike from just outside the penalty area. The shot should have been saved by the goalkeeper, instead found its way past him and into the net to make it 2-0. Adam Nunn wrapped up the scoring from the penalty spot with 12 minutes remaining after Dave Percival was tripped in the area. Three points gained but Trowbridge will have to perform a lot better if they are to achieve anything when they entertain Calne in the Wilts Senior Cup next week.

Trowbridge made an early exit from the League Cup after a lacklustre performance against an improved Tytherington side. With no Cooper or Mitchell up front and Adam Nunn having to start on the bench due to injury, Trowbridge were far from full strength but take nothing away from Tytherington who were impressive compared to their league visit back in August. An early shot from Dave Percival was deflected over the bar for a corner but this was the only real chance for Trowbridge in the first half. Two late first half headed goals, one apiece from David Legg & Phil Ward were enough to give Tytherington a two goal lead at the break. Soon after the restart Dan Kovacs pulled a goal back for Trowbridge with a header that squeezed its way through a number of players to make it 2-1. This made for some entertainment in the second half as Trowbridge went looking for an equaliser but there was always a danger that Tytherington would add to their lead. The goal that finally made the match safe for the visitors was tucked away nicely from the penalty spot by top scorer Jimmy Potts five minutes from time. The decision was hotly disputed which was a shame really because no-one could argue that Tytherington deserved their progression though to the next round.

Trowbridge had to settle for a share of the points from their rearranged visit to Harrow Hill. A very tight first half saw only two direct shots at goal both being saved comfortable by Andy Reid, the Harrow ‘keeper. The first of these fell to Dave Percival in the 16th minute. His shot going straight at Reid from the edge of the area when perhaps he could have taken the ball on a bit further. The other chance fell to Shaun Daniels three minutes later when he made a good run to receive the ball behind the Harrow defence but then guided the ball straight into Reid’s’ hands. Adam Nunn also had a shot deflected over later in the first half. Having survived the first half, Harrow continued to defend very well in the second and as the game became more stretched created a few chances themselves. Adam Sheppard made a good save and clearance after 56 minutes and was grateful to see a shot from Clayton Hook clear the crossbar on the hour. Sheppard saved again a minute later and Chris Tricker headed off the line following five consecutive Harrow Hill corners before Trowbridge mounted some serious attacks during the final 30 minutes.  There were two good chances for Trowbridge with 20 minutes remaining. Matt Cooper was denied by an excellent last ditch tackle by a defender and Adrian Barnes struck a vicious shot over the bar shortly afterwards. In the end a fair result although Trowbridge may have won the match had they taken their first half chances.

 Dave Percival could have added two more but for a good save and a shot wide before a shell-shocked Ross pulled a goal back to make it 4-2 before half time. Andy Sherlock forced the ball home from close range after the ball had been cleared off the line by a Trowbridge defender. Both sides had early chances in the early stages of the second half. Adam Sheppard made a good save with his feet at one end and substitute Dan Crease shot wide at the other. Ross pegged the score-line back to 4-3 with 20 minutes remaining. Dewi Stewart looping the ball over Sheppard as he committed himself to try to close down the effort from the right wing. Any fears of a complete comeback were soon allayed as Dave Percival soon made it 5-3 with a run and shot on the left wing that was helped over the line by a Ross defender. Waleed Bakali made it 6 with a good finish after he was set up by a brilliant back heeled pass from Matt Cooper and Cooper himself wrapped up the scoring in the dying seconds with another good finish.

First Half Action - an early Trowbridge Attack.

The second half saw Trowbridge take total control. Dave Mitchell latched onto a back pass in the first minute to make it 3-0 and Maggs had to be alert to save from Percival again ten minutes later. Chris Tricker made it four with a diving header from a Percival cross after 62 minutes. Matt Cooper and Dan Kovacs came on as substitutes and the onslaught upon the Amesbury goal continued. Kovacs setting up Cooper to make it 5-0 with a side foot shot after 65 minutes. Adam Sheppard made a fine stop following a rare Amesbury attack in the 67^th minute but injured his hip in the process and was replaced in goal by defender, Luke Smith. Trowbridge were in no mood to allow Amesbury to take advantage of this setback although Smith did well to punch clear a corner to keep to the score-sheet clean. It was Lee Wilson that made it a day to remember though, scoring his second goal from close range with 12 minutes remaining.

Matt Cooper squeezes home the third goal following a short indirect free kick by Adam Nunn

Trowbridge kicked off their home campaign with a fine win over a Clanfield side that were a lot better than the score-line suggests. Matt Cooper opened the scoring with a left foot strike on the turn that flew into the top corner after just six minutes. Clanfield then enjoyed a good spell and the Trowbridge defence worked hard to maintain the lead. Luke Smith had to clear form the Trowbridge goal-line and Adam Sheppard saved comfortably on a couple of occasions. Trowbridge made it 2-0 after 20 minutes.
Cooper won possession and threaded a pass through which Chris Tricker guided coolly past the Clanfield ‘keeper. Once again Clanfield refused to lie down and it took a very good save by Sheppard to maintain the two goal lead. Five minutes from half-time Chris Tricker ran through and cut the ball back for Adam Nunn to drive home the third. Three clinical finishes had given Trowbridge a flattering lead at half-time. There was little doubt however, in the second half as Trowbridge took full control of the match. Chris Tricker claimed his second and the fourth for Trowbridge by slotting home a nicely laid pass from Dave Percival. Clanfield, despite now being down to 10 men did their best to compete but it seemed inevitable that Trowbridge would score again. Matt Copper making the final score 5-0 with a powerful header, met from a corner with 15 minutes remaining.

Chris Tricker attacks in the second half.

Letcombe were the better team in the early stages and nearly went in front after just 2 minutes. Adam Glover just managing to toe poke the ball past the post for a corner when Simon Tabor only had Adam Sheppard to beat. The best chance for Trowbridge in the first half came after 34 minutes. A great run on the left wing and subsequent shot by Dave Percival forced Peters into a fine save, diving to his left to push the ball round a post for a corner. The second half provided much better entertainment as both teams contributed to a competitive match. Both sides were down to ten men in the 60th minute. Adam Pendell and Matt Cooper were dismissed following a minor incident which the referee interpreted as head-to-head contact. This decision was a mystery to every other person present and both players will hopefully appeal against the decision. A good strike from Letcombes' Paul Roberts nearly broke the deadlock on 67 minutes but the ball hit the underside of the crossbar and was cleared. Later, Dave Percival and Adam Nunn both had chances to take the points for Trowbridge but Peters, the Letcome 'keeper was in fine form to keep the score-line blank and the points shared.